Chair



4mpril 5, 1938.l J; H. VAN wYK .2,113,145 V CHAIR Fund July 14,y 195s lsheets-sheet 1` April 5, 1938.

-.|. H. VAN wYcK CHAIR Filed July 14, 1936 2 Sheets-Shed?l 2 atentedApr. A5, 1938 CHAIR John H. van Wyck, Mlddlc Village, Long Island,

- Application .my 14, 1936, serial Nn. 90,473

1 claim. .(l. 155-111) This invention relates to chairs and has for itsobject to provide a reclining type chair which is self-adjusting vinresponse to the movement l of the occupant. `Another objectis to providea f device of this sort which has the seat portion pivotally connectedto the tilted back so that the seat may be moved forwardly andrearwardly as the inclination of the back is adjusted. A further objectis to provide a simple and inexpensive lo device of this sort which maybe easily adjusted with little friction. Yet another object is toprovide 'a pivotal connection between the seat and back which may beloosened or tightened by the occupant while sitting in the chair.

Referring to the drawings: Fig. 1 is a, side elevation of a chairembodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is a section on the li'ne 2-2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 31s a top plan viewof the chair of Fig. 1. m Fig. 41s a detail of the antifriction supportVand guide, and end portion of the seat.

Fig. 5 is a front view partly in section of the pivotal connectionbetween the seat and back.

Fig. Q is a right side view of the device of 25 Fig. 5.

In Fig. 1, the chair comprises a back portion il, having slats II, orother customary construction, which is pivotally supported at 'I2 at therear of the arms I'I. A seat I3 is pivotally con- 30 nected at I4, tothe lower end portion of the back below its support I2. The front legsI5 and the rear legs I8, may be of the general shape indicated. Forsupporting the arms I1 and back,

braces or props i6' are provided. Suitable trans- 38 verse braces I 9and 20 reinforce the under-frame.

A metal brace shown by dotted lines in Eig. 1

connects the brace I6, rear legs I3, and the support or pivot I2. A legand foot rest 2| is pivotally connectedat 22 to the front portion of the4 seat, and is provided with a supporting` member 23, which is adaptedto rock about its lower end,

as the seat I3 is moved forward and backward with changes in theinclination of the back.

A metal strip 24' is secured to the front por- 4l tion of the seat asshown in Figs. 2 to 4, inclusive. A cross or transverse brace betweenthe upper forward ends of the rear legs i3 supports an element having anarcuate anti-friction surface 23. Ihis member having such arcuate' sur'-I. face 26, is screwed or otherwise secured to this cross brace asindicated. though, if desired, it

. may 'be made integral with the upstanding guide 23 which is secured byscrews entering the holes bearing may be used. The strip 2d is securedto the forward portion of the seat'by the upstanding post 21 throughwhich a screw is passed transversely of the seat, and also by a screwpassing through the hole 23 into the forward portion of the seat. Asshown in Figs. 2 to 4, inclusive, the metal strip 24 takes up` the wearof sliding movement-of the seat and the guides 29 prevent any lateralshifting of the seat, especially in the forward portion. The guides 29not only engage 10 the sides of the metal strips 24, but also have'overhanging portions 29a which prevent the seat Through this'metalfitting which is secured to the back by screws as indicated, is a recessfor reception of the pivot pin I4, which, in this case, 20 includes aflat headed bolt 33 which passes through the upstanding projection ofmember 34, which is secured to the seat. A nut 35 is threaded on the endof the bolt opposite its head, so that on tightening the screw |4, thettin 3| -is clamped tightly between the seat supporting member 34 andthe nut 35. A projection or wing portion on the nut constitutes a fingerpiece by means of which the nut may be tightened or loosened to controlthe ease of adjustment between the back and seat. The movement of theinger .piece 38 to the left in Fig. 6 effects a tightening or clampingof this pivotal connection so tha't. the back and seat may bemaintainedin whatever adjusted position is desired. A washer 31 isplaced between the litting 3| and the supporting member 34 for the seat.It will be understoodv the clamping mechanism illustrated in Figs. 5 and6 may. if desired. be used on both pivotal connections. be- 40 tween theback and seat, although'in the embodiment illustrated, this connectionis located only on one side, as shown in Fig. 3.

In operation, the occupant may slt in the chair in any position of itsadjustment, and-after be- .ing seated, control the inclination of theback to whatever position is desired. By moving the finger piece 33 toloosen the nut 3l, this pivotal connection between the back and seat maybe loosened so that the back and seat maybe ad- 5'0 justed to whateverposition is desired by merely conforming the body to the desiredposition. As the back is inclined rearwardly, for example, to the dottedline portion shown in Fig. 1, the seat I3 is moved forwardly. The fingerpiece 33 is conveniently manipulated by the chair occupant withoutdimculty. Instead of having the adjustable locking device applied to thepivotal connection I4, it will be understood that it may be locatedelsewhere, such for example, as at the pivot I2. The advantage, however,of locating this locking device in the pivotal connection I4, residesinthe ease with which it may be manipulated by the chair occupant whocan conveniently tighten or loosen this device, with one hand, whereasit would be less convenient to control iflocated elsewhere. If the legrest 2| is raised in the position illustrated in Fig. l, it will beunderstood that this constitutes an extension of the seat and must alsobe shifted forwardly as the seat moves with the rearward tilting of theback.

From the drawings it may be seen the pivotal centers of the arms, legsand seat are so spaced that the chair may be folded by moving the backtoward the seat and collapsing the quadrangle formed by the brace I6,legs I8, upper portion of the front legs I5, andthe arms I1.

Iclaim:

A folding chair comprising connected side frames, each frame includingan arm rest, a for- Wardly4 inclined front leg pivoted to the front endportion of the arm rest, a rearwardly inclined rear leg pivoted tothe'front leg intermediate the ends thereof, a. rearwardly inclinedbrace pivoted between the rear ends of the arm rest and rear leg; a backrest pivoted intermediate its ends to the rear end portion of the armrests, a seat pivoted tothe lower end of the back rest, said seatcomprising a frame and spaced longitudinal slats therein, means slidablysupporting and guiding the front end ofthe seat comprising a cross barconnecting the upper ends of the rear legs, vtransverse metal membershaving convex upper surfaces on the ends of said cross bar, metal'plates on the under side of the seat sliding over the metal members,said metal plates extending inwardly beyond the inner edge of the side.bars of the seat frame and guide members secured to the cross bar andhaving vertical hooks extending over the inner edges o said plates.

JOHN H. VANWYCK.

